Bus bombing suspect left Canada at age 12: minister

A Canadian suspect in last year's fatal bus bombing in Bulgaria was born in Lebanon and only lived in Canada for a few years as a child, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Wednesday.

"My understanding is he came to Canada as a child at the age of eight, obtained citizenship three or four years after that, and left Canada at the age of 12," Kenney said.

"We believe he's likely a dual Canadian-Lebanese national who has not lived here as a permanent resident since the age of 12," he added.

Five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver were killed in the bus bombing at Burgas airport on the Black Sea in July, the deadliest attack on Israelis abroad since 2004.

On Tuesday, Bulgaria formally blamed the attack on Hezbollah, triggering renewed pressure on the European Union to follow Canada, the United States and others in formally designating the movement a terrorist group.

The Bulgarian government said two people behind the attack held Canadian and Australian passports, but lived in Lebanon and were members of the Shiite armed movement Hezbollah.

Canada has confirmed one of the suspects was a dual Canadian-Lebanese national and said it takes allegations of his involvement "very seriously."